West Virginia
New Information System Aims To Ease Fostering In W.Va. – West Virginia Public Broadcasting
During the recent regular session, legislators passed a bill aimed at improving foster care communication and accountability.
House Bill 4975 incorporates foster and kinship parent information systems into the existing Child Welfare Information Technology System.
The bill was the product of two foster parents serving in the West Virginia House of Delegates, Del. Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis County, and Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason County.
Pinson said they were both elected to the House of Delegates four years ago and have been working to pass this bill since then.
“We immediately found common ground in wanting to improve the current West Virginia foster care system, and the opportunity for folks to help as foster parents and if they choose to adopt out of our foster care crisis,” Pinson said.
Burkhammer said the complex foster care system, combined with Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations and court orders can be intimidating for potential foster parents.
“All of that can be a little overwhelming, and trying to cross-communicate between all of them can be a struggle,” Burkhammer said. “The communication is lacking, so as a parent, you just start to get a little frustrated and feeling in the dark.”
This new communication system will work as an electronic hub for all information on the child’s case.
Pinson said he believes the communication breakdown is no one’s fault, just a symptom of an overburdened system.
“Everybody involved in these children’s cases, are doing their very best and are working really hard,” Pinson said. “But communication among several stakeholders who are all busy, who are all maxed with their caseloads and workloads, just proves to be very, very difficult.”
Burkhammer said access to medical records, in particular, can be vital for a child’s health and well-being in the foster care system.
“When they come into our care, we’re not sure where they’ve been going to the doctor, what medications are they taking, and all of those things,” Burkhammer said. “We also wanted to bring in the health aspect of it, just to give parents the ability to be able to care for the children and make sure everybody’s healthy and safe at the end of the day.”
Pinson said West Virginia leads the nation in the number of children who are currently in state custody per capita. There are more than 6,000 children in West Virginia state care. He said he believes any family who is willing to foster or adopt should have access to information and a smooth transition.
“When a family is willing to open their home and allow these children into their home, we believe that they ought to receive excellent support around their decision to try to help,” Pinson said. “What we find is many times families are less frustrated because they have a child come into their home or children, multiple children come into their home, and they can’t get basic questions answered.”
Pinson said he wants all foster and adoptive parents to have access to the stakeholders and information of the child in their care immediately. The communication portal approved in the bill allows for a digital space for people involved in the child’s care to communicate quickly and effectively.
“They could post this question, they could post this concern or this emergency,” Pinson said. “And everyone involved with that child’s case would see it immediately and get an immediate notification. And then that way, the attorneys who need to know that information, they get it at the same time that the CPS worker gets it, at the same time that the child placing agency worker gets it.”
If you are going to take a foster child out of the state, for example on vacation, Pinson said the foster parent has to ask permission.
“Well, I know families who have had to cancel the family vacation because no one was able to respond to their vacation request in a timely fashion,” Pinson said. “Well, that’s just inappropriate, we can’t have that.”
The bill faced some pushback from lawmakers who were concerned for the children’s privacy and access to confidential records. Burkhammer said the second hurdle for the bill was an overwhelmed CPS staff.
“We were going to create a whole new system and require that the courts and require the placing agencies and require the CPS workers to log in and input information,” Burkhammer said. “And everybody said, ‘Hey, don’t give me one more thing that I’ve got to do. I’m already overwhelmed. We’re understaffed.’ That’s what we have created in this language in the bill that says to reduce redundancy. We’re talking about being able to pull information that they’re already inputting.”
Burkhammer said he wishes the legislature had been able to pass a pay raise for guardian ad litems, lawyers who represent children in court.
“Currently, we’ve only got about 159 guardian ad litems for over 6,000 kids right now, give or take in the foster care system, under the state’s control at this point,” Burkhammer said. “We’re severely overworking our guardian ad litem who are representing these children in the court cases. We’ve got to tackle that situation.”
Both delegates agree the key to fixing all the pervasive issues is communication.
“The problem is we’re just dealing with people, real people, real lives, real problems,” Pinson said. “I believe most anything in life can be solved if proper communication takes place. This bill points everybody involved to the importance of proper communication.”
Pinson said West Virginia’s system isn’t broken, it is just overwhelmed and this bill is an effort to ease that workload, not point any accusing fingers.
“It’s not that our CPS workers just simply don’t care,” Pinson said. “They do care. They care so much that they’re willing to try to make this their livelihood, their life. We have excellent CPS workers, we have excellent child placing agency workers through our foster agencies throughout West Virginia. But there’s just an overwhelming number of people who need the services. And everybody’s caseload is just maxed.”
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.
During the Gold-Blue spring game on Saturday, the West Virginia coaching staff named wide receiver Cyrus Traught the recipient of the 2026 Tommy Nikolich Award.
The award, which is always given out at the end of spring ball, recognizes a walk-on team member who has distinguished himself through his attitude and work ethic. The award is presented in memory of Tommy Nickolich, a former WVU player (1980-82) who passed away from cancer in 1983.
Traugh is a Parkersburg native and graduate of Parkersburg South High School. He began his career at Youngstown State before transferring back home to play for the Mountaineers last season. In his final year with the Penguins, he logged 36 receptions, 409 yards, and a team-leading five touchdowns, two of which came against Pitt.
During the 2025 campaign with the Mountaineers, he saw action against Robert Morris and Kansas, playing 10 snaps against the Jayhawks, but did not record any stats.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez has mentioned him twice this spring as someone who has been doing some good things and making progress. Wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett also showed him some love during his press conference last week.
The Mountaineers completely revamped the wide receiver room this offseason, upping the level of talent at both inside and outside receiver spots, but perhaps Traugh can work his way into the mix if he puts together a strong summer and fall camp. If he’s not a regular in the rotation, he’ll serve as a quality depth piece who can play special teams.
Past Nickolich Award winners:
2025: Clay Ash, RB
2024: Avery Wilcox, S
2023: C.J. Cole, WR
2022: Nick Malone, OL
2021: Graeson Malashevich, WR/H
2020: Osman Kamara, S
2019: Jake Abbott, LB
2018: Evan Staley, K
2017: Nick Meadows, LS
2016: Jon Lewis, DL
2015: Justin Arndt, LB
2014: Michael Calicchio, OL
2013: Connor Arlia, WR
2012: Tyler Anderson, DE
2011: Ryan Nehlen, WR
2010: Matt Lindamood, FB
2009: Josh Taylor, DL
2008: Adam Hughes, LS
2007: Andy Emery, LB
2006: Tim Lindsey, LS
2005: George Shehl, H/DB
2004: Jeff Noechel, LB
2003: John Pennington, WR
2002: Moe Fofana, RB
2001: Jeremy Knapp, TE
2000: Ben Collins, LB
1999: Bryan Lorenz, LB
1998: Mark Corman, TE
1997: David Lightcap, DB
1996: Matt Ceresa, OL
1995: Rob Keys, DB
1994: Randy Fulmore, DB
1993: Matt McCulty, WR
1992: Brett Parise, WR, Ray Wilcox, LB
1991: Keith Taparausky, RB
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West Virginia offers deep river gorges, Appalachian mountain trails, and museums covering several layers of regional history. Day trips can lead to quirky stops like the legends at the Mothman Museum or haunting tours through a historic asylum. Other stops highlight art and science, with hands-on exhibits at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences and wide-ranging collections at the West Virginia State Museum. Places like Beech Fork State Park and Babcock State Park show off the landscapes that make West Virginia a rewarding place to drive through. Below are 12 day trips worth the drive, starting from Charleston and Huntington.
Starting City: Charleston
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences (Within the City)
This 240,000-square-foot facility opened in 2003 and combines art exhibits with STEM experiences across multiple museums and theaters. The Avampato Discovery Museum is the child-facing centerpiece, with climbing sculptures, a music studio, a Space Lab for designing rockets, and a Wild Kratts Ocean Adventure covering various ocean ecosystems. The Caperton Planetarium & Theater handles night-sky programming. The other two anchors are the Juliet Art Museum with its Interactive Art Space and the Maier Performance Hall, which hosts performances from the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and visiting jazz ensembles.
West Virginia State Museum (Within the City)
The state museum dates to 1890 and was previously known as the West Virginia Science and Culture Center. It covers history, art, culture, paleontology, and archaeology across its galleries. The Discovery Rooms walk visitors through the prehistory of West Virginia, life on the Appalachian frontier, and John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, which helped ignite the American Civil War. Additional rooms cover West Virginia’s 1863 statehood (the state was carved from Virginia during the war) and its long heritage as a coal-mining state. Interpretive reconstructions throughout the museum recreate West Virginia landmarks including a classic soda shop, Harpers Ferry, and a coal mine.
Capitol Market (Within the City)
The Capitol Market in the heart of Charleston has been widely recognized as one of the best local shopping centers in the state. Set in a historic train depot, it houses produce merchants both indoors and outdoors. Inside, Johnnie’s Fresh Meat Market handles meat, Mea Cuppa Coffeebar pours coffee, and Bogey’s serves BBQ, fire-roasted corn, and homemade coleslaw. The outdoor section is where shoppers find flowers and greens from greenhouses like Bostic and Evans, along with fresh fruit and vegetables from Robbie’s Produce out of Sissonville, West Virginia.
Kanawha State Forest (15 Minutes)
West Virginia is one of the most heavily forested states in the country, with forest covering roughly 79% of its total land area. That reality is easy to experience 15 minutes south of Charleston at Kanawha State Forest. At 9,300 acres, the forest was once a logging and mining site before the West Virginia Conservation Commission purchased it and converted it to public land. There are more than 60 miles of hiking and biking trails, with strong wildflower viewing in spring and reliable bird sightings, including 19 species of wood warblers during migration. Davis Creek offers fishing opportunities with wheelchair-accessible piers.
Mothman Museum (1 Hour)
West Virginia has its share of cryptid legends, and the state’s most famous is Mothman, first sighted around Point Pleasant in November 1966 and described as a winged figure with glowing red eyes. The Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant calls itself the world’s only museum dedicated to Mothman, with collected newspaper clippings, eyewitness accounts, and props from the 2002 film The Mothman Prophecies. Visitors can take pictures next to the nearby Mothman Statue or pick up Mothman-inspired shirts and souvenirs. The museum also runs the Mothman ’66 Escape Room and a Mothman Blacklight Mini-Golf course, both fit for families willing to lean into the spookier side of the legend.
Hawks Nest State Park (1 Hour)
Hawks Nest State Park covers 270 acres along the cliffs above the New River. The water below produces fast rapids popular with experienced whitewater rafters. Away from the rapids, the park offers a scenic overlook down to the New River Gorge Bridge and 8 miles of hiking trails climbing up into the mountains. Hawks Nest Lake holds bass for anglers, though swimming is not allowed in the lake (the park has a separate pool and splash pad). Like many West Virginia parks, it was initially developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and the Hawks Nest Park Museum covers that history.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (1 Hour, 15 Minutes)
A few more minutes’ drive from Charleston takes you down into the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The gorge was carved by the New River, which, despite its name, is actually one of the oldest rivers in North America at roughly 260 million years old. The gorge is the deepest in the Appalachian Mountains, with 1,000 feet of exposed sandstone and shale cliffs. Those cliffs support more than 1,600 established climbing routes, drawing climbers year-round. Hikers have nearly 100 miles of trails to choose from, along with scenic drives, whitewater rafting, and fishing access.
Babcock State Park (1 Hour, 30 Minutes)
Babcock State Park’s signature landmark is the Glade Creek Grist Mill, a working mill built in 1976 from parts of three historic West Virginia mills, most notably Cooper’s Mill, which had been destroyed by fire decades earlier. The mill is one of the most-photographed spots in the state. Beyond the mill, the park has more than 20 miles of hiking trails winding up into the Appalachian hills, and Boley Lake offers paddle boat, rowboat, and canoe rentals at the marina. Geocachers have left trinkets throughout the park, especially near Glade Creek Waterfall.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (1 Hour, 45 Minutes)
Construction on the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum began in 1858, and it opened in 1864 during the Civil War to house psychiatric patients. At 1,300 feet long, it remains one of the largest hand-cut stone masonry buildings in the United States. Originally designed to hold up to 250 patients under the 19th-century Kirkbride Plan, which emphasized natural light, air, and space, the asylum eventually housed as many as 2,400 patients at a time, with the crowding leading to documented abuses. It also housed Union and Confederate troops during various Civil War raids. The asylum closed in 1994 and now offers historical tours Tuesday through Sunday, with separate ghost tours available in the evening.
Starting City: Huntington
Huntington Museum of Art (Within the City)
At nearly 60,000 square feet, the Huntington Museum of Art is the largest art museum in West Virginia. The collection is eclectic, spanning fine paintings alongside decorative crafts. The Touma Gallery displays Middle Eastern pottery, metalwork, and woodwork including pieces from Damascus, Syria. The Herman P. Deans Firearms Collection covers early firearms and crossbows as examples of historic craftsmanship. On the grounds, West Virginia’s only plant conservatory showcases tropical and subtropical species, and 6 miles of hiking trails run through forested hills.
Heritage Farm Museum & Village (Within the City)
The Heritage Farm Museum & Village was the first Smithsonian Affiliate in West Virginia, recognized for its hands-on approach to Appalachian pioneer history. A former farmhouse converted into a multi-museum pioneer village, it covers specific aspects of Appalachian life across several buildings. The Progress Museum focuses on 1850s Appalachian settler life, while the Transportation Museum covers the railroad and frontier wagons. The Country Store Museum recreates a 19th-century general store, and the Children’s Hands-On Activity Center lets kids try 19th-century chores. A Treehouse Trek trail on canopy bridges rises 60 feet above the forest and ends at a large treehouse.
Beech Fork State Park (30 Minutes)
Less than half an hour from Huntington, the 3,000-acre Beech Fork State Park sits on Beech Fork Lake, a reservoir built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control on Twelvepole Creek. The park’s 31 miles of shoreline support canoes, kayaks, johnboats, and paddle boards, rentable at the dock. Fishing includes largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, catfish, and bluegill, with a valid West Virginia fishing license required. Hiking trails wind around the lake and up to overlooks.
There’s A Lot To See On These Country Roads
John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is still the most familiar song about West Virginia’s winding mountain roads, and along those roads are picturesque stops ranging from the Clay Center in Charleston to the Heritage Farm Village near Huntington. For travelers drawn to darker history, the Mothman Museum and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum preserve the stranger and more haunting side of the state. All of these sites sit within an easy day-trip radius of Charleston or Huntington, so the drive itself becomes part of the experience.
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